Michigan State

Beachfront Owned By Tom Izzo Part Of Seagull Study

NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 28: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans gestures from the bench against the Virginia Cavaliers during the regional semifinal of the 2014 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 28, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

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SPRING LAKE, Mich. (AP) — Michigan State University head basketball coach Tom Izzo is allowing researchers to use property he owns in western Michigan to study seagulls to find ways to keep the Lake Michigan shoreline cleaner.

The Grand Rapids Press reports Wednesday that findings of the project were given this week to Ottawa County commissioners.

Researchers at Central Michigan University say ring-necked gulls were captured and tagged with radio transmitters at Izzo’s Spring Lake property and two other beaches in the Grand Haven area. The newspaper reports that their study shows gulls travel more than previously thought between beaches along Lake Michigan and landfills where they seek food.

Researcher Elizabeth Alm says gulls have been linked to E. coli and other contamination in water and beach sand.